U.S. Roster for Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool Announced

10/16/2013

Olympic gold medalists and reigning world champions Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Md.) and Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) will lead the United States against Europe’s best in the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool, set for Dec. 20-21 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Guiding the U.S. squad in Glasgow will be women’s head coach Jack Bauerle of the University of Georgia and men’s head coach Eddie Reese of the University of Texas. Having combined to serve as a U.S. head coach at four Olympic Games, Bauerle and Reese have a wealth of international coaching experience with USA Swimming.

“The Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool has become a must-watch event for swimming fans around the globe, and USA Swimming is excited to compete against a talented European team in Glasgow,” USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch said. “We’ve assembled a nice mix of veteran performers and rising stars on the U.S. roster, and we look forward to racing some of the top swimmers in Europe.”

The two-day, short-course meet will be contested at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, site of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Day one of the meet is slated for 2 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 20, followed by the conclusion of the meet at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 21. Footage from the meet will be televised by NBC as part of a two-hour show on Sunday, Dec. 22. The show will air from 4-6 p.m. ET.

U.S. swimmers were eligible for selection based on posting the top qualifying time in each Olympic event at the 2013 FINA World Championships, 2013 World University Games or 2013 U.S. Open. The top two swimmers in the 100m and 200m freestyles at these three events qualified for selection.

Swimmers can compete in a maximum of six events (individual and relays), and each team may enter up to four swimmers per individual event and one relay. A running score will be kept combining the points earned by both women and men to determine the winning team.

The Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool is a made-for-television event, designed to showcase the sport’s most exciting swimmers in a short-course meters format. This year’s event will be the sixth Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool in the history of USA Swimming, with past Duels held in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011. The U.S. is undefeated and holds a 5-0 record in the event’s history.

The meet will be comprised of 15 events per gender (13 individual and two relays) with prize money at around $120,000. The winning team will earn will take home a portion of the winnings while prize money will be awarded to the winner of each race. A bonus will also be awarded for any world-record swim at the event.